401. While others are fond of sleeping

While others are fond of sleeping,
He is fond of working.

While others are fond of working,
He is fond of serving.

While others are fond of serving,
He is fond of self-giving.

While others are fond of self-giving,
God is planning to create another God
Inside his perfection-being.

402. To consecrate soulfully

To consecrate soulfully
Is to construct beautifully.
To construct beautifully
Is to keep ignorance-door shut firmly.

403. O sweet touch of silence-peace

O sweet touch of silence-peace,
My bleeding heart loves you,
My dying life needs you.
You are so beautiful.
Can you not become swift, too?

404. Satisfy and serve

Yesterday
You satisfied ignorance-king
By serving him unreservedly.

Today
You are satisfying wisdom-king
By serving him unreservedly and unconditionally.

Tomorrow
You will satisfy your Beloved Supreme
By serving Him unreservedly and unconditionally,
Plus sleeplessly.

405. How strong is prayer?

How strong is prayer?
An insincere seeker will tell you
How strong his prayer is,
Only to fool you unconsciously.
A sincere seeker will tell you
How strong his prayer is,
Only to illumine you immediately.

406. O my hope

O my hope,
Where are you?
Can you not see me
Inside the despair-grave?

O my hope,
Where are you?
Can you not grant me someday
The helmet of protection
And the crown of satisfaction?
Hope, my hope!

407. All the evil forces

All the evil forces
Are hovering near you,
And you are whispering in cowardice.
Cast aside your cowardly lethargy!
Celestial glory will once more
Be all yours.

408. The changer of world history

You have a strong hope.
You have a firm faith.
You have a stark arrow in hand.
Who else can be the changer
Of world history?

409. A God-man

A desire-man
Is a dreamer.

An aspiration-man
Is a builder.

A realisation-man
Is a God-lover.

A God-man
Is the bringer of
A new creation,
A new harmony,
A new perfection.

410. They will know it

You exerted your divine oneness-power
But, alas, they misunderstood you.
They deserted your love divine.
Now who is the loser?
Whose loss is beyond repair?
Perhaps by this time they know it,
Or before it is too late,
They will know it.

411. Because of venom-doubt

Because of venom-doubt,
You have lost your life-security.

Because of venom-doubt,
You have lost your heart-beauty.

Because of venom-doubt,
You have forgotten your nectar-song.

Because of venom-doubt,
You will never be able to claim God.

Because of venom-doubt,
You will never be able
To enjoy God-harvest from the Deep.

412. Fallen from surrender-tree

You have fallen
From surrender-tree.
You cannot climb up
Devotion-tree any more.
Love-tree does not want
Even to see you,
For you have time and again
Disappointed love-tree
By climbing earthbound desire-banyan tree.

413. Summoning the sleepers

Aspiration summoned the three sleepers,
Body, vital and mind,
And said to them,
“I shall not fail you.
You must not quit.
You and I shall treasure
God-realisation
Beyond surmise.”

414. Three insults

This world has hurled
Not one, not two, but three
Insults at me:
“You do not love God!
We do not need you!
We are totally sick of you!”

415. O my Lord Supreme

O my Lord Supreme,
Grant me inner beauty
Instead of doubt,
Grant me outer beauty
Instead of power,
Grant me oneness-satisfaction,
Both here on earth and there in Heaven,
Instead of victory-tower.

416. To make yourself happy¹

To make yourself happy,
Be what you have:
Aspiration-flame.

To make God happy,
Be what you are:
Dedication-lamp.

To make both yourself and God happy,
Become what you have to become:
Illumination-sun.

417. You don't need them

You tell me that
Your physical beauty is poison.
I tell you, give it up.
You don’t need it!

You tell me that
Your vital impurity is poison.
I tell you, give it up.
You don’t need it!

You tell me that
Your mental insecurity is poison.
I tell you, give it up.
You don’t need it!

You tell me that
Your psychic uncertainty is poison.
I tell you, give it up.
You don’t need it!

418. Who is happy?

Who is happy?
Not the puny princess.

Who is happy?
Not the weak prince.

Who is happy?
Not the jealous queen.

Who is happy?
Not the insecure king.

419. The twentieth century

The twentieth century
Is flooded
With self-styled Master-rogues.

The twentieth century
Is flooded
With monster disciple-fools.

420. Because of You, Lord

Lord, I am crying
Because You are sleeping.

Lord, I am sleeping
Because You are not caring.

Lord, I am not caring
Because You are ignoring.

Lord, I am ignoring
Because You are not smiling.

421. An interesting question

An interesting question:
Where is God?

An inspiring question:
What is God doing?

An illumining question:
Who is God?

A fulfilling question:
Who else’s love do I need,
If not God’s alone?

422. Clever and tricky

Before the race,
The marathon was temptation
Which I cleverly called
My aspiration.

After the race,
The marathon is frustration
Which I trickily call
My dedication.

423. Unlit and unfit

Your heart-room is unlit.
Therefore
Your mind’s capacities
Are deplorably unfit.

424. Gratitude

Gratitude, gratitude, gratitude!
To teach me how to love God
You have come to me
From my aspiration-heart’s amplitude.

Gratitude, gratitude, gratitude!
To teach me how to love God
You have come to me
From my illumination-soul’s infinitude.

425. Your ignorance-choice

Don’t try to make God
Into your image.
He will please you,
But your ignorance-choice
Will make you suffer
Far beyond your imagination’s flight
During your darkness-enjoying journey.

426. My priority-list

On my priority-list
Two slaves will play
Most significant roles:
My surrender-life will be
God’s unconditional slave;
My desire life will be
Earth’s transformed slave.

427. Just a quick reminder

Just a quick reminder to meditate.
Meditate soulfully;
You will conquer ignorance-night
Easily.

Just a quick reminder to meditate.
Meditate unconditionally;
You will gain the Lord Supreme
Everlastingly.

428. The longest stride

Everyone knows your great secret:
You have the longest stride
In your aspiration-life.
Your stride embodies
Love selfless,
Devotion spotless,
Surrender sleepless.

429. Man and machine

Man and machine.
Man asks for quantity.
Machine has it.

Man wants to build.
Machine says, “It is all done.”

Man asks for help in every sphere of life.
Machine says, “What have I been doing
Save and except that very thing?”

430. Blame

Man blames fate.
Fate blames the stars.
The stars blame
The desire-ambition-man.
Man blames the invisible God.

431. Never

Hope never retreats.
Faith never delays.
Love never sleeps.
Devotion never doubts.
Surrender never fails.

432. Three tearful prayers

My Eternity’s Lord Supreme,
Three tearful prayers:
Reinspire my heart-cry,
Rebuild my hope-tower,
Replenish my gratitude-cup.

433. Stop shouting!

Stop shouting!
The Creator is coming.

Stop shouting!
The creation is crying.

Stop shouting!
I am preparing —
Preparing myself for God’s
Complete Satisfaction.

434. The secret of divine education

The secret of divine education:
Do not look back.
Your forgotten, hungry wolf-life
Will immediately devour you.

The secret of divine education:
Be sleeplessly on the alert.
Your ego-life can easily
Keep growing without nourishment.

435. Ambition is hard work

Ambition is hard work
In the desire-world.

Ambition is quick elevation
In the aspiration-world.

Ambition is slow but certain perdition
In the realisation-world.

436. Life is an experience²

Life is an experience.
This experience helps us learn
Ultimately
The message of God-Light
And helps us unlearn
Eventually
The message of ignorance-night.

437. A life of mistakes

His is a life
Mostly spent in making mistakes.
But his hallowed hunger for God-Love
Will eventually
Not only rectify and justify
But also glorify
All his unavoidable mistakes.

438. Learn and unlearn

Not to learn, but to unlearn,
Ignorance-fulfilment-lesson.

Not to unlearn, but to learn,
Always to learn,
God-Satisfaction-Lesson.

439. You will be happy

Take ego-horse out,
You will be happy.

Bring humility-lamb in,
You will be happy.

Take failure-hare out,
You will be happy.

Bring victory-turtle in,
You will be happy.

440. Whether you like it or not

My Lord Supreme,
Whether You like it or not,
I shall come to You daily.
Whether You like it or not,
I shall tease You smilingly.
Whether You like it or not,
I shall place You on my shoulders surprisingly.

441. Two favours from my Lord

I ask only for two favours,
My sweet Lord:
That You will not forgive me
Unless and until I beg
For Your Forgiveness-Grace;
That I shall never again
Appreciate ignorance-face.

442. What does Heaven need?

What does Heaven need?
Heaven needs to conquer
The pride of its monster-indifference.

What does earth need?
Earth needs to conquer
The life of its ignorance-sea.

443. Because of his good heart

Because of his good heart,
Divinity was persuaded to become small
And humanity was inspired to become big
By Eternity’s Lord Supreme.

444. A good place

A good place to begin:
My soul’s soulful nest.

A good place to continue:
My heart’s psychic core.

A good place to transform:
My mind’s mental chamber.

445. They never stop

Education never stops.
Self-transcendence never stops.
Perfection never stops.
Alas, only one thing
Not only stops but never properly begins:
Divine gratitude-flames
In human life.

446. Forgive and forget³

Forgive,
You will have happiness.
Forget,
You will have satisfaction.
Forgive and forget,
You will have everlasting peace
Within and without.

447. Hope discovered America

Hope discovered America.
America has discovered promise.
Promise will discover Fulfilment supreme
In Perfection divine.

448. No preparation, no attempt

No preparation, no attempt.
No attempt, no progress.
No progress, no perfection.
No perfection, no satisfaction.

449. Sincere desires

Man’s sincere desire:
Grasp, possess and enjoy quickly.

The soul’s sincere desire:
Aspire, offer and enjoy eternally.

450. You will appreciate

You will appreciate
Your aspiration-life
Only after you are strangled
By the ceaseless and ruthless desire-life.
Indeed, this is humanity’s deplorable
But unfortunately common experience.

451. Science and technology

Science and technology
Are for the desire-fulfilment
Of humanity.

Spirituality and yoga
Are for the betterment and enlightenment
Of humanity.

452. Permanent happiness you wanted

Permanent happiness you wanted.
Unending sorrow you have got.
Why?
Why?
Because you love your earth-reality
In your own way
And not in God’s own Way.

453. Man first came to know of God

Man first came to know of God
When religion-flames arose
From humanity’s crying
And tearing heart.

454. Another God

Who first saw God?
Who else if not you?
You are another God,
Only with another
Vision-Reality.

455. Science is

Indeed,
Science is man’s
Breath-taking advance.

Indeed,
Spirituality is God’s
Breath-immortalising romance.

456. Keep doing the right thing

Keep doing the right thing.
God Himself will go
And collect the gratitude-buds
That the world owes you.

457. Do give me the capacity

My Lord Supreme,
Do give me the capacity
To love the Body-Reality of Your creation
In exactly the same way
That I have been loving
The Soul-Immortality of Your Vision.

458. Now what is happening?

There was a time
When my aspiration-life and I
Were misapprehended.
And now what is happening?
My realisation-life and I
Are being misrepresented.

459. A baby balloon

You fool, don’t allow science
To replace your spirituality!
In comparison to your vast spirituality,
Science is a baby balloon
That can and will burst at any moment.

460. Philosophy is blind

You fool, don’t allow philosophy
To replace your Beloved Lord!
In comparison to your Lord Supreme,
Philosophy is blind,
The worst beggar-poltroon.

461. Innocence untouched⁴

Innocence untouched
Is your heart.

Experience detached
Is your soul.

462. What you need

What you need
Is a flower-like heart
And
A child-like prayer
To free yourself
From the narrow path
Of your blighting and blighted mind.

463. Why are you in tears?

Soul, my sweet soul,
Why are you in tears?
Is it because, of late,
I have been welcoming death?
Is it because, of late,
Ceaseless suffering has conquered me,
My all?

464. Courage is a kind of beauty⁵

Courage is, indeed,
A kind of beauty.
But because you have
A faint courage,
You are nothing more than
A mortal beauty.

465. My heart-home

My heart-home is a place
Full of silence-peace.
In front of my heart-home
Are two giant trees:
God’s Compassion-Tree
And
God’s Forgiveness-Tree.

466. Your holy steps

Your holy steps
Have saved my fettered life.

Your holy steps
Have released my encaged soul.

467. The bright eye of the sun

The bright eye of the outer sun
May torture my outer vision,
But the intense light of the inner sun
Illumines my heart,
Liberates my life,
Fulfils my soul.

468. What you always have

What you always have:
A fountain of flames.

What you always are:
A flower of purity.

469. The perfect choice

Indeed, the choice
Of humanity’s Divinity is perfect.
It desires to see
All seekers living together
As good members
Of a single world-community.

470. If I am great

If I am great,
Then it is all the result of my disciples’
Constant self-dedication.
If I am good,
Then it is all the result of my Lord’s
Constant Self-giving.

471. A very far cry

His deviation from the right path
Is not a passing phase.
Salvation-liberation-perfection
Will remain for him
A far, very far, cry.

472. I love You

Lord, my Lord, I love You
Not because You have all Power,
Not because I need a special favour,
But because You are my Master-Friend
And my Supreme Love.

473. I am happy

While hearing about Your supreme Deeds,
I am happy, my sweet Lord.

While singing Your summit-praises,
I am happy, my great Lord.

474. If not grateful

Soulfully I am able
To place myself at Your Feet.
Therefore I am really happy,
If not grateful.

Constantly I am able
To think of You.
Therefore I am exceedingly happy,
If not grateful.

475. Prayer-power

Prayer-power is incalculable;
It moves mountains easily.

Prayer-glory is ineffable;
It works miracles regularly.

476. Only one favour

Lord, I need only one favour
From You.
Do accept my heart’s surrender-delight
Quickly —
If possible, immediately.

477. Exorbitant pride

Exorbitant pride has taken away
Your mind’s equipoise.
Your heart is now full
Of turbulent noise.
Ask your heart’s mounting flames
Soulfully and devotedly
To bring you back your mind’s
Lost wealth.
I assure you, your silver request
Will meet with immediate approval.

478. Eye-witness

My Lord’s Compassion
And
My life’s emancipation
Live in each other’s hearts.
My soulful gratitude
Is the eye-witness.

479. Although you hate God

Although you do not need God,
Although you do not love God,
Although you hate God,
You will not be denied
Your Western salvation
And
My Eastern liberation.

480. Builders are transformers

Lovers are sufferers.
Sufferers are workers.
Workers are builders.
Builders are transformers of the old
And pioneers of the new.

481. No peace for you

No peace for you,
No satisfaction for you,
Unless you give me
The chance to uplift you
From the morass
Of your dogmatic empiricism.

482. No other choice

There can be no other choice
Than to live for the Lord in man,
Willingly or unwillingly,
Happily or tearfully,
Lovingly or otherwise.

483. Science, my friend

Science, my friend,
Be serious and sincere
Once and for all!
What do you want?

“I want the truth
Through the accumulation
Of knowledge-light.”

Thank you, my friend.

484. Spirituality, my friend

Spirituality, my friend,
Do you really need anything?

“I need, I need, I need
The Absolute Truth
Through the accumulation
Of perfection-progress.”

Thank you, my friend.

485. Who practises what he preaches?

Who is not a past master
Of preaching,
Who?

Who practises what he preaches,
Who?

Who loves God the Justice
More than he loves God the Compassion,
Who?

486. Not enough

Not enough, not enough,
If the spirituality-lesson
Is merely learnt
From books and philosophers.
It must be translated
Into regular practice,
It must be lived
In its pristine form.

487. Music is

Music is
Entertainment.

Music is
Enlightenment.

Music is
The animal bark of man.

Music is
The God-Song And God-Dance for man.

488. Volcano-sounds

Modern music
Is the stark combination
Of volcano-sounds.
The animal in us
Unreservedly loves it.
The human in us
Unavoidably accepts it.
The Divine in us
Immediately rejects it.

489. Music knows no frontiers

Music knows no frontiers.
It is free all-where.
Its contribution to emotional integration,
Human and divine,
Can never be fathomed.

490. Keep up your God-promise

Keep up your God-promise
For God-realisation.
The overwhelming odds will soon kiss the dust
Of your lightning-feet.

491. Your Himalayan victory

Since yours is the firm resolve
Not to surrender to temptation-night,
Your Himalayan victory
Has already been celebrated
In the inner world.

492. You are tired

Lord Supreme,
You are tired of my unchanging stupidity.
But I have gone one step farther.
I am sick of my life’s
Impossible futility.

493. Offering worship to You

Offering worship to You,
I am so happy,
My Lord.
I am also happy
Because this happiness of mine
Nobody can steal.

494. Ancient rivals

You fool!
You believe
Or you fool yourself into believing
That you and God are ancient rivals.

495. My friendship with you

Lord, my friendship with You
Makes my life sure.
Lord, my oneness with You
Makes my heart pure.

496. Caught in the snare

Be careful, be careful!
You may be caught once more
In the snare of temptation-night.

Be careful, be careful!
You may be caught once more
In the snare of intellect-height.

497. Do not be unreasonable

Image-worship is not meant for you,
True.
But do not declare
It is not meant for everyone.
Do not be unrealistic,
Do not be unreasonable.

498. Your supremely ridiculous discovery

God is everywhere.
He is in everything.
He is everything.
You want to discard these sublime realisations
Which have reigned supreme
Down the sweep of centuries?
God will definitely bless you
And your supremely ridiculous discovery.

499. Illumining is my prostration

Illumining is my prostration
At Your Lotus-Feet.
Fulfilling is my long-desired servility
Under You, my Lord!

500. I don't need salvation

Lord, I don’t need salvation,
I don’t need liberation.
What I need is Your Compassion-Ocean.
What I need is Your Forgiveness-Sun.

Editor's introduction to the first edition

This is the fifth volume in a series of ten thousand “flaming flower-poems” which Sri Chinmoy is placing devotedly, unreservedly and unconditionally at the Compassion-Feet of God, our Beloved Supreme. They stand as a supreme offering from the unfolding beauty of his flower-heart and the flaming heights of his realisation-sun. Indeed, a treasure-tower which will at once be claimed by humanity’s self-ascending cry and Divinity’s God-descending Smile.

Editor's note

Some poems in this first edition were later selected by the author for a special collection of 207 Flower-Flames (FFP). The author also chose to revise some of his original poems for this anthology:

FF-444: FFP 35 (revised version).